Published By: Bedford Square
Pages: 272
Released On: 27/08/2026
Hannah Richell was lost in writing her new novel when the outside world finally broke in to tell her that her husband, Matt, had been killed in a surfing accident. This is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two years of loss, but it is also an account of what happens beyond those early years, when time and distance have offered some perspective and healing.
Not just a love letter to her late husband, but a love letter to the country that stole her heart, to motherhood, and to the healing power of creative endeavours. More than anything, it’s a story of recovery and hope.
*****
Thanks to Bedford Square for the advanced proof of this title in return for an honest review.
This is one of those books that I won’t review as I would a standard novel. I don’t want to comment on any errors or the “characters” or whether the story flows. This story is one that transcends the book and instead I will comment on how I feel about the book and what it meant to me.
As someone who had experienced grief and bereavement and heartbreak too frequently, I have made it my mission to read as many books about it as possible, if only to find some familiar words, to find comfort. And Hannah’s is my latest one and my gosh is it beautiful.
Her words are exquisite. Grief is a funny thing, it feels so powerful and yet you rarely have to words to explain it, but she’s done it exactly right.
I normally make notes as I read a review book, but I couldn’t bear to tear myself away from this for one moment and I read it in one sitting.
Hannah has given us a mixture of pre-accident and post-accident scenes. This gives us a background into their relationship which then means the parts after she has lost her husband hit that much harder. I did enjoy these scenes a bit more than the pre-accident chapters because there was a familiarity in the grief, although I liked it all.
It’s not always an easy book to read obviously. It’s honest and raw and angry and brutal and very sad. But at the same time, she’s managed to infuse it with hope and joy and above all, love. Love for her husband, her children, her community, and most importantly, of herself. It’s so simply written, it’s got such a professional touch, and it’s overwhelmingly heartbreaking and heartwarming.
I cried. Of course I cried. I don’t know how you can read this and not cry.
I was only half way through when I knew I would be forcing it into everyone’s hands because it is just such a beautiful book to read.
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